1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to food process apparatus, and more particularly, to an improved apparatus and method for removing rind from spheroidal fruits and vegetables, and particularly melons.
2. Description of Related Art
A number of different machines and implements have been disclosed in the prior art for processing fruits and vegetables. Most machines and implements are either particularly designed for home use or industrial applications. Implements adapted for home use are typically designed for hand use or for placement of the implement on a suitable surface, such as the countertop in a kitchen.
The machines designed for industrial use are usually somewhat large and may be configured for automated processing of food thereby. A number of different common fruits and vegetables are processed by such industrial machinery, for packing or canning of the fruits and vegetables, prior to taking them to the marketplace. However, it is well known that fruits and vegetables are many different shapes and sizes. Thus, several different machines are provided for separately processing each of the fruits and vegetables. Therefore, processing of a particular fruit, such as removing the skin from a peach, is usually performed by a particular machine, for maximizing the processing speed of the machine.
An industrial machine for processing fruits and vegetables is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,758, to Fresh, which is directed to a fruit and vegetable peeler. The disclosed peeler includes a tong assembly having flexible grater plates resiliently connected across spaced apart joints of the assembly. The tong assembly is mounted to a support plate having a food article receiving aperture formed therethrough. The grater plates are positioned for access through the aperture. In use, a pronged chuck spins a food article, such as a carrot. The food article is lowered through the aperture, between the grater plates. The tong assembly has tong handles connected to the grater plates for closing the plates. The plates are closed to abrasively engage food article to remove a surface layer therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,734, to Foxcroft et al., discloses a peeler for peeling oranges. The peeler comprises a cylindrical member for cutting a major portion of the orange, by plunging the member into the orange. The cut portion of the orange resides within the cutting member, with the orange peel residing outside the cutting member. A moveable member is provided to push the cut portion of the orange out of the cutting member. Ends of the orange are peeled by a slicing means. The slicing means can remove the ends of the orange either before or after the orange is cut by the cutting member. A disadvantage of the disclosed peeler, is that food articles cut thereby are cylindrical, due to the cylindrical cutting member. Since oranges, as well as other food articles, are not cylindrical the disclosed peeler may either remove an excessive portion of the orange's flesh, or not sufficiently remove the peel, or both.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,593, to Chen, discloses a hand operated double-blade peeler; U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,035, to Cohen et at., is directed to a kitchen utensil for peeling fruits and vegetables; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,337, to Ho, discloses a hand operated vegetable and fruit peeler and peel collector.
Although the devices disclosed in the above enumerated prior art references have improved features, they fail to disclosed all of the advantageous features achieved by the present invention.